I
Hello! My name is Carly Wright ( in the green), I am a Junior at UC studying special education. I was in nursing for 2 years and decided that it wasn't for me so I made the switch last spring, basically turning me into a freshman all over again. I love to be outdoors and warm weather, I grew up in the Caribbean on a little rock known as Antigua so if a beach is around you can find me there or constantly daydreaming about it. Im looking forward to this class and hoping it helps me with my horrible technology skills!
1.Does technology make a difference in the learning process or could you teach just as well without it? I believe that it makes a difference in the learning process but it depends on the resources that the school is able to receive. If schools get technology that doesn’t work to its full potential then students aren’t able to expand their learning from it like they could and it limits what teachers can teach. But it has so many advancements and benefits that we are able to find out more information faster and easier, enhancing students knowledge.
2.Are students today fundamentally different than students in the past? Yes I think that students today are different than in the past because of everything that has been introduced and altered to our education that they didn’t have then. I believe that we are different than them in the way that we learn the content; we have so many more resources and ways of getting information that schools curriculum has changed due to technology. We receive information in new ways.
Reflection: After reading the Natives Response article and what peoples responses were I gained a new understanding of how technology has affected my life personally. I agree that technology has altered education but education is altering technology, people are finding new ways to present education but there is so much technology created based off the needs of education. The programs made to benefit learning obviously will, if they don't people won't use them. Even though those not considered Digital Natives aren't as adept to technology like we are they are just as capable of learning how to use it. Technology is like a preference, you can either use it or not, it isn't a forced object yet.
Objectivist vs. Constructivism- April 5th
Objectivist-
1. Information is presented to students the way that teachers believe is the best way. Students preferences aren't considered.
2. Teachers give students information and that is the only thing they need to know, they aren't able to use abstract ideas because it isn't the "right" way to learn. What the teacher says is what you know.
3. Students are expected to repeat what the teacher says, if they can do that then they are considered to be learning. It's based off of memorization and is limited by what teachers say.
4. They are wrong if they cant repeat what the teacher presented.
5. It is based off of lectures and textbook readings, little classroom discussion and reflection of what they learned.
6. There are consequences for wrong answers and will only learn if they can correctly repeat the information.
Constructivist-
1. Teachers urge for students to interact with each other and learn from each ones knowledge.
2. Information is presented to students but teachers present it in a way the requires students to ask questions to gain more knowledge. Students are able to actively think about what the teacher said and reflect on it, they are given the chance to learn through each other and with outside sources, they can add what they already know to what the teacher said and learn the information in different ways.
3. Students preferences are taken into consideration and it is important for teachers to know how their students learn best on an individual basis and try to present the information based off their needs.
4. The material is presented in different forms rather than just teacher based lecture, students are actively involved in the learning process by doing alternate activities that allow them to learn the material just in a different way such as in experiments, group projects, and many other things.
5. Students create their knowledge and they are considered to be learning the material if they can show the teacher they understand it when given different tasks related to the material and do it correctly.
6. Questions that are presented are created in a way that allows students to use their creativity and personal knowledge and gives students a chance to learn the best way for them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxufdpcfpJY
This is constructivist classroom. The teacher gave her students a project that allowed them to interact with each other and put all their ideas together to create a final project. They learned from each other and showed the teacher that they knew the information in their final projects that were all different but correct. Students created the project the teacher just gave them an outline.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&feature=youtu.be
This video shows both ways of teaching. The students in the video are describing how the objectivist method doesn't work for them, lecture based classes don't benefit them. It reveals that students would prefer a constructivist classroom where they can interact and talk with each other rather than just sit in large classes and listen to the teacher pour out loads of information. They aren't benefitting from boring classes.
I prefer constructivist classrooms over lectures any day, I have found that the information that I learned in classrooms where my teachers put us in groups and allowed us to explore and guided us along the way is what I really remember. When I am in classrooms that are lecture I loose focus and don't listen to the professor because it doesn't keep my attention. Instead I learn the information on my own time when it is time for a test or activity. When I am in a class that requires my involvement and succeeds with class discussion I am more involved and actually learn and understand the material.
Support: There was no main problem with the support section but it instead told us how technical and administrative support is key to implementing technology. So here are some solutions that will ensure support is given-->
-Make sure staff and administration are on the same page
-have a technical support person always there during school hours to make sure they can provide help to teachers
-combine support from parents and teachers to show that both sides are willing to try
-Administrative leaders MUST be supportive because they are the key to combining support with the other categories
Class 4-26:
Drill-type games- where students are drilled on basic facts (low level thinking skills)
1. Funbrain
2. Drill- type games. I think that FunBrain would fall under this category because most of the educational games are geared towards the overall understanding of the material. They don't give you a background on the main aim of the game rather they assume you have studied the material and are made for practice. The games are simple and straightforward about the material.
3. A English Language Arts Standard that I found related to the FunBrain games would be : -->RI.3.1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
-->RI.3.5. Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
4. I didn't really like FunBrain, a lot of the games were over within 2 minutes and didn't give a lot of detail about how the game worked. The educational games did have some specific games that I liked such as the one for distinguishing verbs and nouns but it didn't switch it up a whole lot. I could see students getting easily bored with it because they aren't very intriguing/interesting. What I did like was the section where you could read full children's books - Diary of A Wimpy Kid - and have access to that.
ISTE Standards:
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
d.
model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.
Our whole class is based off of face to face interactions using virtual resources. All of our classroom acitivites have required us to work in groups with our peers and then follow up with a reflective piece of our understanding of the information. For example our collaborative learning network, we are expected to come together and present what we have learned in this class, meaning using the resources that we have explored and physically presenting the information in a way that resembles a classroom setting.
The interaction with our peers is one of the most useful tools provided, it is so hard to figure things out on your own and I often find myself lost and looking for help from others. Being able to ask others what to do or explain it in another way makes all the difference. When we went around to the different game stations with our groups we were able to explore together and advance our knowledge at the same time rather than working individually and hoping that each person understands what is required. Through our face to face interactions we have created relationships that let us share our common knowledge and express our ideas. Since we are grouped with our content area we can easily relate to conversations and not feel completely lost. Working with others is a advantage because they can expand on your idea and teach you things that were unknown.
I feel that the classroom structure that Dr. Angelone uses is one that many should model after. I find that often times teachers hesitate to do group work because of the unspoken awkwardness that students face in class. But since we are in a group with people that are in our content area it makes it so much easier to have conversations because we are all after the same thing. It creates discussion and I believe that is key for a successful classroom.
5-10-12 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
c.
customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
Each week we review and learn content that is beneficial to all of our needs, some ways more than others. From the beginning we were split into groups based off of our area of study and are required to work with that group throughout the quarter. Each subject has a main presentation where they share their learning strategies and digital tools with the rest of the class. This class succeeds in addressing diverse learning styles by offering numerous activities that require us to use more than just a computer. We have used IPads, Smart Boards, the CECH library and last week our class discussion with internet saftey.
I feel like this class has appealed to all of the students learning strategies by offering more than one way to go about it. Each week when we post to our diigo we are able to share the information that we found that would be useful for us as teachers, sharing these lessons opening up a variety of different lesson approaches to our peers and we can explore things that we didn't know about. Our ability to use digital tools and resource are test every week with assignments and mainly posting a lesson plan to our class diigo. Dr. Angelone has provided us with activities that are new each week but flow into the content from previous classes.
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
c.
communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats.
In this class we communinate one on one or via the internet. We are offered numerous ways to contact each other and with our professor. Using a wiki page has been more than beneficial to my learning in this class. Ensuring that communication is open and dependent is one of the main things that teachers should emphasize. I find that myself and others often don't fully understand an assignment and forget the main points that were explained in class further in the week so when our professor emails reminders and has a syllabus that they follow it helps cease the chaos.
Every time that I have emailed Dr. Angelone I have gotten a quick response and a useful one, I wasn't left clueless after it. This class to professor communication is one of the best ones I have experienced. It is nice that we are reminded to get each others emails and communicate with each other and not just the teacher. I also like that we go over what is due for the next class and what was to be done for the current class. It helps keep my mind straight and focus on what is due instead of scrambling back and forth with syllabus and due dates.
5-16-12
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
c.
promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
In one form or another almost everyone in today's society are connected with technology, whether it is computers, internet websites, cell phones, and any digital media. With all of the ways that people can communicate and find information on the internet there needs to be rules and guidelines that people need to follow so that something doesn't get out of control. But a major problem in society especially within our youths is bullying via the internet. They use it as a weapon of attack and it leads to many issues. So when teachers use social networks, blogs, or any internet resource for students to communicate through it needs to be monitored and watch for signs of misuse. I have also learned that teachers need to educated their students on internet safety and the consequences for improper use.
We did a Internet Safety activity in this class where we were split into groups and had to respond to a parents angry email about student misuse of the internet resource or boundaries that were crossed. We had to compare the issue at hand with the guidelines set for internet use for teachers and students, reply with a response that ensures that we as teachers followed the rules and really evaluate how to fix the problem. By doing this activity I learned how important it is to emphasize to students what is appropriate and what isn't. If we as future teachers want to use the internet and not risk our jobs because of a violation we need to be educated just as much as students. This activity that Dr. Angelone set up were perfect scenarios of an incident that could happen and as we tried to think of a proper email to reply with we learned about internet safety in a interactive way. I really enjoyed this activity and believe it is one to model after, the information I gained from it will stick with me throughout my career.
5-24-12 5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership c. Evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.
In this class, mainly our assignment for this week we had to read articles about emerging technology and it's affects on teenagers and people from lower economic standpoints. We were asked questions related to the articles but also with our opinion involved, for instance what is your imput on the amount of time teenagers spend on the internet? These articles not only educated us on the challenges and lack of resources that lower SES people have but how it has affected them and what we think about these issues. Reading these articles and becoming informed about these issues is very important because it gives you an insight in to what is occurring in places that we never see, but it gives us a starting point with teaching students with diverse backgrounds and will potentially help us be better teachers because we will have a better understanding.
We constantly research new and existing digital tools, each week we discover new ones and realize how much help is out there for tecahers. Before this class I was terrified at the thought of having to create a lesson for students and ensure that it is working correctly but now after all of our research I have found so many websites and interactive tools that will definately help me in the future. I really enjoyed how Dr. Angelone required us to use and get familiar with different digital tools because it opened our eyes to see all the help we can have in the classroom. This class constantly exhibited support of student learning, we were always urged and given the time to explore interactive tools and lesson plans on the internet. It has helped me as a student immensly.
Website Evaluation:
Group D: Guinea Worm Foundations I evaluated this website because the name instantly drew in my curiosity. I have never even heard of a guinea worm so I was intruiged to see if it was real or fake. Based off of my site exploration I come to believe that this website and animal are very, very fake. When I go to use websites I usually always stay or leave the page based off of the layout, more specifically what it looks and if a lot of time was put into making it. When the text and pictures aren't clear or seem to be "cheaply" made I tend to leave. This is because the information that I usually find on these aren't credible or useful for me, they hold information that doesn't pertain to my needs or are filled with advertisements. When a website looks clean and smooth I know that a solid source is funding it and took the time to put it together.
Overview:
I believe that this class was one of the few that I will actually be able to take something from for my future. All of the online tools and interactive resources will be more than helpful as a educator. I think that it is awesome that each week were shown more than one resource that will benefit us. I really enjoyed the overall class management, each activity had a purpose and it wasn't one of those classes where the teacher tells you every answer or how to work out the problem, we had to do it ourselves but that is how we learned. The class wiki and diigo page were also helpful tools, I never knew either existed but what I really liked was that we used reflection and that each week I was able to discover a new lesson plan and how easy it is to find useful ones. My big fear with teaching is how to keep the kids occupied and not bored and if I could come up with enough stuff to do that. So when I realized how accessible websites are for that information especially when you know what your looking for there are so many possibilites. I really enjoyed this class and am happy with the people I met in it!
Hello! My name is Carly Wright ( in the green), I am a Junior at UC studying special education. I was in nursing for 2 years and decided that it wasn't for me so I made the switch last spring, basically turning me into a freshman all over again. I love to be outdoors and warm weather, I grew up in the Caribbean on a little rock known as Antigua so if a beach is around you can find me there or constantly daydreaming about it. Im looking forward to this class and hoping it helps me with my horrible technology skills!
1.Does technology make a difference in the learning process or could you teach just as well without it?
I believe that it makes a difference in the learning process but it depends on the resources that the school is able to receive. If schools get technology that doesn’t work to its full potential then students aren’t able to expand their learning from it like they could and it limits what teachers can teach. But it has so many advancements and benefits that we are able to find out more information faster and easier, enhancing students knowledge.
2.Are students today fundamentally different than students in the past?
Yes I think that students today are different than in the past because of everything that has been introduced and altered to our education that they didn’t have then. I believe that we are different than them in the way that we learn the content; we have so many more resources and ways of getting information that schools curriculum has changed due to technology. We receive information in new ways.
http://horizon.unc.edu/projects/issues/papers/Distance_Learning.html
http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/tiol.html
http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Living/article.php?id=94378
Reflection:
After reading the Natives Response article and what peoples responses were I gained a new understanding of how technology has affected my life personally. I agree that technology has altered education but education is altering technology, people are finding new ways to present education but there is so much technology created based off the needs of education. The programs made to benefit learning obviously will, if they don't people won't use them. Even though those not considered Digital Natives aren't as adept to technology like we are they are just as capable of learning how to use it. Technology is like a preference, you can either use it or not, it isn't a forced object yet.
Objectivist vs. Constructivism- April 5th
Objectivist-
1. Information is presented to students the way that teachers believe is the best way. Students preferences aren't considered.
2. Teachers give students information and that is the only thing they need to know, they aren't able to use abstract ideas because it isn't the "right" way to learn. What the teacher says is what you know.
3. Students are expected to repeat what the teacher says, if they can do that then they are considered to be learning. It's based off of memorization and is limited by what teachers say.
4. They are wrong if they cant repeat what the teacher presented.
5. It is based off of lectures and textbook readings, little classroom discussion and reflection of what they learned.
6. There are consequences for wrong answers and will only learn if they can correctly repeat the information.
Constructivist-
1. Teachers urge for students to interact with each other and learn from each ones knowledge.
2. Information is presented to students but teachers present it in a way the requires students to ask questions to gain more knowledge. Students are able to actively think about what the teacher said and reflect on it, they are given the chance to learn through each other and with outside sources, they can add what they already know to what the teacher said and learn the information in different ways.
3. Students preferences are taken into consideration and it is important for teachers to know how their students learn best on an individual basis and try to present the information based off their needs.
4. The material is presented in different forms rather than just teacher based lecture, students are actively involved in the learning process by doing alternate activities that allow them to learn the material just in a different way such as in experiments, group projects, and many other things.
5. Students create their knowledge and they are considered to be learning the material if they can show the teacher they understand it when given different tasks related to the material and do it correctly.
6. Questions that are presented are created in a way that allows students to use their creativity and personal knowledge and gives students a chance to learn the best way for them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxufdpcfpJY
This is constructivist classroom. The teacher gave her students a project that allowed them to interact with each other and put all their ideas together to create a final project. They learned from each other and showed the teacher that they knew the information in their final projects that were all different but correct. Students created the project the teacher just gave them an outline.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&feature=youtu.be
This video shows both ways of teaching. The students in the video are describing how the objectivist method doesn't work for them, lecture based classes don't benefit them. It reveals that students would prefer a constructivist classroom where they can interact and talk with each other rather than just sit in large classes and listen to the teacher pour out loads of information. They aren't benefitting from boring classes.
I prefer constructivist classrooms over lectures any day, I have found that the information that I learned in classrooms where my teachers put us in groups and allowed us to explore and guided us along the way is what I really remember. When I am in classrooms that are lecture I loose focus and don't listen to the professor because it doesn't keep my attention. Instead I learn the information on my own time when it is time for a test or activity. When I am in a class that requires my involvement and succeeds with class discussion I am more involved and actually learn and understand the material.
FISHBONE ACTIVITY 4-19
Click here for larger version
Support: There was no main problem with the support section but it instead told us how technical and administrative support is key to implementing technology. So here are some solutions that will ensure support is given-->
-Make sure staff and administration are on the same page
-have a technical support person always there during school hours to make sure they can provide help to teachers
-combine support from parents and teachers to show that both sides are willing to try
-Administrative leaders MUST be supportive because they are the key to combining support with the other categories
Class 4-26:
Drill-type games- where students are drilled on basic facts (low level thinking skills)
1.
Funbrain
2. Drill- type games. I think that FunBrain would fall under this category because most of the educational games are geared towards the overall understanding of the material. They don't give you a background on the main aim of the game rather they assume you have studied the material and are made for practice. The games are simple and straightforward about the material.
3. A English Language Arts Standard that I found related to the FunBrain games would be :
-->RI.3.1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
-->RI.3.5. Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
4. I didn't really like FunBrain, a lot of the games were over within 2 minutes and didn't give a lot of detail about how the game worked. The educational games did have some specific games that I liked such as the one for distinguishing verbs and nouns but it didn't switch it up a whole lot. I could see students getting easily bored with it because they aren't very intriguing/interesting. What I did like was the section where you could read full children's books - Diary of A Wimpy Kid - and have access to that.
ISTE Standards:
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
The interaction with our peers is one of the most useful tools provided, it is so hard to figure things out on your own and I often find myself lost and looking for help from others. Being able to ask others what to do or explain it in another way makes all the difference. When we went around to the different game stations with our groups we were able to explore together and advance our knowledge at the same time rather than working individually and hoping that each person understands what is required. Through our face to face interactions we have created relationships that let us share our common knowledge and express our ideas. Since we are grouped with our content area we can easily relate to conversations and not feel completely lost. Working with others is a advantage because they can expand on your idea and teach you things that were unknown.
I feel that the classroom structure that Dr. Angelone uses is one that many should model after. I find that often times teachers hesitate to do group work because of the unspoken awkwardness that students face in class. But since we are in a group with people that are in our content area it makes it so much easier to have conversations because we are all after the same thing. It creates discussion and I believe that is key for a successful classroom.
5-10-12
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
I feel like this class has appealed to all of the students learning strategies by offering more than one way to go about it. Each week when we post to our diigo we are able to share the information that we found that would be useful for us as teachers, sharing these lessons opening up a variety of different lesson approaches to our peers and we can explore things that we didn't know about. Our ability to use digital tools and resource are test every week with assignments and mainly posting a lesson plan to our class diigo. Dr. Angelone has provided us with activities that are new each week but flow into the content from previous classes.
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Every time that I have emailed Dr. Angelone I have gotten a quick response and a useful one, I wasn't left clueless after it. This class to professor communication is one of the best ones I have experienced. It is nice that we are reminded to get each others emails and communicate with each other and not just the teacher. I also like that we go over what is due for the next class and what was to be done for the current class. It helps keep my mind straight and focus on what is due instead of scrambling back and forth with syllabus and due dates.
5-16-12
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
In one form or another almost everyone in today's society are connected with technology, whether it is computers, internet websites, cell phones, and any digital media. With all of the ways that people can communicate and find information on the internet there needs to be rules and guidelines that people need to follow so that something doesn't get out of control. But a major problem in society especially within our youths is bullying via the internet. They use it as a weapon of attack and it leads to many issues. So when teachers use social networks, blogs, or any internet resource for students to communicate through it needs to be monitored and watch for signs of misuse. I have also learned that teachers need to educated their students on internet safety and the consequences for improper use.
We did a Internet Safety activity in this class where we were split into groups and had to respond to a parents angry email about student misuse of the internet resource or boundaries that were crossed. We had to compare the issue at hand with the guidelines set for internet use for teachers and students, reply with a response that ensures that we as teachers followed the rules and really evaluate how to fix the problem. By doing this activity I learned how important it is to emphasize to students what is appropriate and what isn't. If we as future teachers want to use the internet and not risk our jobs because of a violation we need to be educated just as much as students. This activity that Dr. Angelone set up were perfect scenarios of an incident that could happen and as we tried to think of a proper email to reply with we learned about internet safety in a interactive way. I really enjoyed this activity and believe it is one to model after, the information I gained from it will stick with me throughout my career.
5-24-12
5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
c. Evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.
In this class, mainly our assignment for this week we had to read articles about emerging technology and it's affects on teenagers and people from lower economic standpoints. We were asked questions related to the articles but also with our opinion involved, for instance what is your imput on the amount of time teenagers spend on the internet? These articles not only educated us on the challenges and lack of resources that lower SES people have but how it has affected them and what we think about these issues. Reading these articles and becoming informed about these issues is very important because it gives you an insight in to what is occurring in places that we never see, but it gives us a starting point with teaching students with diverse backgrounds and will potentially help us be better teachers because we will have a better understanding.
We constantly research new and existing digital tools, each week we discover new ones and realize how much help is out there for tecahers. Before this class I was terrified at the thought of having to create a lesson for students and ensure that it is working correctly but now after all of our research I have found so many websites and interactive tools that will definately help me in the future. I really enjoyed how Dr. Angelone required us to use and get familiar with different digital tools because it opened our eyes to see all the help we can have in the classroom. This class constantly exhibited support of student learning, we were always urged and given the time to explore interactive tools and lesson plans on the internet. It has helped me as a student immensly.
Website Evaluation:
Group D: Guinea Worm Foundations
I evaluated this website because the name instantly drew in my curiosity. I have never even heard of a guinea worm so I was intruiged to see if it was real or fake. Based off of my site exploration I come to believe that this website and animal are very, very fake. When I go to use websites I usually always stay or leave the page based off of the layout, more specifically what it looks and if a lot of time was put into making it. When the text and pictures aren't clear or seem to be "cheaply" made I tend to leave. This is because the information that I usually find on these aren't credible or useful for me, they hold information that doesn't pertain to my needs or are filled with advertisements. When a website looks clean and smooth I know that a solid source is funding it and took the time to put it together.
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/name-glyphs-30832.html?tab=1#tabs
Overview:
I believe that this class was one of the few that I will actually be able to take something from for my future. All of the online tools and interactive resources will be more than helpful as a educator. I think that it is awesome that each week were shown more than one resource that will benefit us. I really enjoyed the overall class management, each activity had a purpose and it wasn't one of those classes where the teacher tells you every answer or how to work out the problem, we had to do it ourselves but that is how we learned. The class wiki and diigo page were also helpful tools, I never knew either existed but what I really liked was that we used reflection and that each week I was able to discover a new lesson plan and how easy it is to find useful ones. My big fear with teaching is how to keep the kids occupied and not bored and if I could come up with enough stuff to do that. So when I realized how accessible websites are for that information especially when you know what your looking for there are so many possibilites. I really enjoyed this class and am happy with the people I met in it!